7 Straightforward Steps to Bury Gutter Downspouts in Your Yard
Goodbye unsightly pipes. Hello, beautiful lawn
- Pencil and notepad
- Garden spade
- Shovel
- Wheelbarrel
- Screwdriver
- New downspout (optional, you can use an existing one)
- Plastic downspout extension
- Gutter downspout extension vent (optional)
- Pop-up emitter (optional)
Burying your gutter downspouts is a fantastic way to reap their benefits while also keeping your yard looking pristine. Underground downspouts can help guide rainwater away from your home’s foundation—and channel it to the thirsty areas of your lawn. You can DIY this project to save some money and protect your home from drainage issues. Here’s a quick guide to burying downspouts around your home.
Is Burying Downspouts a Good Idea?
Yes, especially if your lawn tends to hold water in uneven places or you live in an area where it rains often.
When water doesn’t drain properly away from your home, it can damage your foundation. Prolonged water damage to your foundation can compromise the structural integrity of your home. It could also leave puddles in your yard that ruin your shoes or cause four-legged friends to track mud through the house.
The layout of your yard, the climate you live in, and the amount of rain you get each year can help you decide if you should bury your downspouts or consider a different solution, like installing French Drains.
The cost of French drains, however, might motivate you to tackle this project on your own.
Advantages
Directs rainwater away from your foundation
Protects your home from water damage or leaks
Reduces risk of water pooling in your yard
Boosts curb appeal
Prevents slick or icy spots during winter
How to Bury Gutter Downspouts
If you’ve decided to go the DIY route, here’s how to bury downspout extensions in seven simple steps.
Map a Route for Your Downspout
Each yard is different, so first you should decide where you want to channel rainwater. It might help to map out a diagram to figure out the best location for your downspouts to drain.
Ideally, your underground downspout will drain out on a hill several feet away from your home or into the sidewalk or street. This removes the possibility of puddles of water staking a claim on your lawn and keeps water away from the foundation.
In some cases, above-ground aluminum downspouts or PVC pipe might be a better solution for your yard. For example, if there are lots of rocks in your soil or there are lots of shrubs or bushes where you can hide the extension.
The size and layout of your yard will determine the length of your buried downspouts. Eight feet is a good goal to aim for; that way, rainwater will move far away from your foundation.
Dig a Trench
An important note—before you start digging, be sure to call 811 or visit your state’s 811 website so that you don’t unintentionally hit a gas or utility line.
Once you have the all clear, it’s time to grab your tools to dig a trench for the downspout. A garden spade is best for cutting through dirt. You’ll also want to grab a wheelbarrow to shovel the dirt into if you have it.
Be sure to:
Mark off any utility lines
Dig your trench on a gradual decline so water doesn’t back up
Dig a trench deep enough for your climate
Downspouts should be buried at least a foot deep underground and at least 5 to 10 feet away from your house. If you live in a cold climate, keep in mind that the frost line falls between 36 and 48 inches underground. In that case, you should dig down to below that depth to previent the need to thaw your gutters and downspouts during a cold snap.
The trench should be wide enough to leave 4 inches of space on either side of your pipe.
Dismantle the Old Gutter Downspout Extension
If your downspout has an aluminum extension, you’ll need a screwdriver to remove it before installing the plastic extension you’ll be burying.
Carefully unscrew the old extension and slide the plastic one into place. As you lay down your pipe, make sure the other end winds up at least 8 feet from your home.
Connect the New Extension
You’ll need a flexible, durable plastic downspout extension. Connect this to the base of your gutter downspout using several layers of waterproof tape or screws.
Be sure to get an extension that fits your gutter downspouts. Most are either 2 by 3 inches or 3 by 4 inches.
Extensions come in white, black, and brown. Color might not matter since you’re burying the extensions underground. But if the downspout will pop out anywhere, you may want it to be an eye-pleasing color.
Pro tip: You may want to consider buying a vent for your gutter downspout extension for easy and inexpensive gutter maintenance.
Set Your Downspout
Now that your trench is ready, it’s time to lay the downspout down. Make sure your downspout extension is placed at a gradual angle to prevent water from backing up.
Scan one last time for any potential problems, like high spots that could prevent proper water flow. If all looks good, it’s time to bury it.
Fill Your Trench
Use your shovel to cover the downspout extension and trench with soil. After it’s covered, pat it down firmly.
That’s it—you’re done! Now just wait for the next rainy day to see how your work fares.
(Optional) Attach a Pop-up Emitter
You might also consider installing a pop-up emitter on the end of your downspout extension.
Pop-up emitters are best for:
Disguising the end of your downspout extensions
Maintaining even water flow into flat yards
Preventing debris from getting in your drain pipe
How Much Does It Cost to Bury Gutter Downspouts?
Installing and burying flexible downspout extensions should cost you as little as $20, which is far less than the cost to replace gutters.
If you have tools on hand like a shovel, a wheelbarrow and a screwdriver, you might only need to buy the pipes and possibly a pop-up emitter, making the total price for this project less than $30.
If you don’t want to go the DIY route, hiring a gutter installation professional starts at $200. The final cost depends on how long your pipe is and how much digging is required. Overall, burying your own downspout is an inexpensive DIY project, but you’ll pay for it (at least a little bit) with some sweat equity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buried downspouts can freeze during cold weather as cold water runs through them. If you’ve discovered your downspouts are frozen, you can carefully pour hot water down the top of the downspout to defrost them. If that doesn’t work, you may need to dig your downspout back up. Avoid trying to break the ice from the exterior using a hammer as this can cause cracks and damage to your downspout.
To avoid freezing the future, consider adding a heating cable to the exterior, which can adjust heat based on the surrounding temperature.
If you’re not interested in digging up your yard, but you still need to direct water away from your house, another option is to extend your downspouts further out into the yard. Two methods to do this are:
Adding a splashguard. This is the simplest method. You can purchase a splashguard at your local hardware store and place it under your downspout. This will act as a funnel to direct water away from your house.
Add downspout extension at the end. You can also add an additional downspout to the end of the “elbow” as a way to extend the water further out into your yard. Some hardware stores sell downspouts with a flexible extension that you can maneuver around your yard.
The above alternatives are great options if your gutters are above a slab foundation that you wouldn’t want to dig up. One downside to these methods is if your yard slopes back upwards to your home, then the water won’t actually flow away. In which case, burying your downspouts if the best option to avoid flooding and water damage to your home.
Downspouts should be buried at least 5 to 10 feet away from your foundation. This can vary depending on your local building codes, soil type, and property slope. The main goal is to ensure water is directed away from your foundation.
